IQNA

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization said the ground has been set for participation of more than 85,000 Iranians in Hajj rituals this year.

Releasing a statement on Friday, the organization said
registration for Hajj pilgrims will begin soon.

It came after successful negotiations with Saudi Arabia over
Iran’s demands, which included guarantees for the safety of Iranian Hajjis.

Given the emphasis of Leader of the Islamic Revolution
Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Iranian officials and nation on protection of the
security, dignity and honor of Iranian pilgrims and facilitation of the
provision of consular, medical and other crucial services to Iranian pilgrims,
an agreement has been reached with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Haj and Umra on
the dispatch Iranian pilgrims to Hajj this year, the organization said.

The Islamic Republic decided to stop sending pilgrims to
Hajj over security concerns after two deadly incidents claimed the lives of
more than 470 Iranian pilgrims during the 2015 Hajj rituals.

Days after the deadly human crush, which occurred in
September 2015, Saudi Arabia published a death toll of 770 but refused to
update it despite gradually surging fatality figures from individual countries
whose nationals had been among the victims of the crush. Iran said about 4,700
people, including over 465 of its nationals, lost their lives in the incident.

Earlier that month, a massive construction crane had
collapsed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque, killing more than 100 pilgrims, including
11 Iranians, and injuring over 200 others, among them 32 Iranian nationals.